


Of Parties and Declarations

by Maraudererjily



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-22 01:40:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9576227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maraudererjily/pseuds/Maraudererjily
Summary: In which James makes a rather bold statement. At a party. On a table. Probably drunk.





	

He wore fingerless gloves. Lily didn't know why that fact should jump out at her the way it did, but she noticed that before the dress robes, infinitesimally neater hair and flushed cheeks.  
"Hello." The one word James said spoke tens, and Lily's gaze snapped back to focus.  
"Walk with me." It had been intended as a request, but it became more of an order. Either way, James didn't complain, his strides easily falling in step with Lily's gait.  
They rounded a street corner, in a comfortable silence, and Lily decided that the quite road was a good place to stop, and she took a seat on the curb.  
"You royally messed up today." She sighed.  
"It happens a lot." Her companion agreed watching his breath billow into the freezing air.  
"Why?" She questioned. "Why'd you say it there, not the common room, or, quite frankly, anywhere else?"  
James seemed to deliberate over his answer for a while, and it wasn't what Lily was expecting when it did come.  
"I'm not proud of it, but to hurt her more, I think. And spur of the moment..." he trailed off.  
"Did you mean it?"  
"Mean what?" James was confused for a moment, the his expression cleared. "Oh. I'm not really sure."  
"Well, if you didn't," Lily continued, as if he hadn't spoken. She paused as an elderly muggle passed by, but he had rounded the corner, she ploughed on. "If you didn't, you may have just completely lost it, in front of everyone, for no reason."  
James shifted uncomfortably.  
"I think I meant it." He muttered quietly.  
"Pardon?"  
"I think I meant it!" He exclaimed a little louder.  
Lily was silent for a minute.  
"Oh." It struck James that maybe she didn't want to hear that. "Umm, well, shouldn't you be getting back..?"  
"What, to the party?" James shrugged. "Probably, but they won't notice a bit longer." Lily scoffed.  
"Okay, they probably would notice a bit, but..."  
"You're tired of caring?" Lily suggested.  
"Something like that."  
Before any party made further effort for more conversation, six familiar cracks sounded from the corner.  
"That sounded like-"  
"Apparation. Take a wild stab at who it could possibly me." James cut off, and both Lily and James moved further apart, suddenly conscious of the surprisingly small space between them.   
As they did so, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, Mary MacDonald, Marlene McKinnon and Alice Longbottom came walking up.  
"How's it going back there?"  
Lily asked.  
"Practically a riot." Remus cut in, noting tension. "Milly's crying-"  
Don't..." groaned James. Remus ignored him.  
" Thompson ain't best pleased either," Lily, too, groaned and rested her head on her knees. "Dung got a betting pool going too-"  
"In short, chaos." Sirius substituted.  
"Yeah." Remus agreed, more to fill the silence than actual acknowledgement.   
Marlene, having never mastered subtlety, broke in.  
"So have you guys snogged yet?"  
"Marlene!"  
"Oh come on, we're all thinking that."   
"No-" but any complaints were lost as James got to his feet, rather unsteadily due to his alcohol intake.  
"I should go see Milly." He explained, but Sirius blocked his way.  
"How stupid are you, mate?"  
"Excuse me?"  
"You just confessed you love for Lily goddamn Evans, and you want to go and comfort you girlfriend, who, last time I checked, is not said Lily goddamn Evans?!"   
"When you put it like that-"  
"It is just as stupid and dumb as when you said it. I swear to Merlin, I will lock you in a cage until you kiss at this rate." Sirius ranted. James rolled his eyes.  
"What do I do?" He asked eventually.  
"Break up with Milly-" Alice started  
"Pretty much done that, to be fair,-"  
"And ask Evans out." Sirius finished  
"What about-" Lily tried to interrupt, also getting to her feet.  
"Thompson'll live, I'm sure." Peter butted in.  
"Well okay, he wasn't that great anyway, but where in this have I said I like James, much less go out with him?" Lily asked to the assembled.   
"Three weeks ago, I believe," Mary began. "We confronted you and you-"  
"Fine, fine you win. But this really wasn't necessary. I'm blaming you, Potter."  
"Of course you are." James sighed.  
Alice senses what was coming and took charge.  
"Right, we're leaving. James, Lily, if you aren't back at the party in five minutes, in which we'll sort out the situation, then Sirius can have the key to my shed, and perfect access to chuck any couple in it."  
Lily rolled her eyes- she seemed to be doing that a lot recently- and watched the others disappear.  
"Umm..." lily realised she didn't actually know what she was going to say. "Clearwater's going to kill me." She muttered.  
"Thompson going to kill me." James added.  
"Do you really love me?" Lily asked suddenly.  
"Well, seven years is a bit of a long crush." James remarked.  
"Just a bit." Lily replied, and she smiled, because for a moment everything seemed to fit.


End file.
